Hanmer Springs for some R&R

February 9

I originally didn’t have Hanmer Springs on our itinerary. It was an out of the way destination that I wasn’t sure was worth it. Pretty last minute we decided to add it, and I’m so glad we did. After a very winding two hour back road drive from Kaikōura, we arrived at the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools.

There are 22 different pools spread out over the property. There are sulfur, aromatherapy and mineral pools heated to a comfortable temperature of 106-110 degrees. It’s like a warm/hot bath that stays at a constant temperature. We hopped from one pool to the next, exploring which was our favorite. The sulphur pool was the hottest and smelliest, not my favorite unless you’re a fan of the hot, rotten egg smell. I loved the rock pools and the aromatherapy ones with the powerful jets. Mitch enjoyed the lazy river. It was the coldest of all the pools and refreshing after the warmth of the other pools.

Since our family’s favorite massage therapist, Mary Dalrymple, wasn’t nearby, we treated ourselves to a few massage therapies at the Spa instead to up the ante on relaxation.

During the foot massage, the New Age music was really getting on my nerves. When what sounded like a 4th grade recorder concert came through the speaker, I started laughing. The therapist thought she was tickling my feet so she stopped the massage. I told her it wasn’t that and after I apologized several times, she continued. But the recorder music kept playing and all I could think about was the time Zachary stuck one recorder up each nostril and played “Mary had a little lamb,”dual nostril style. I lost it again. I laughed so hard I started crying, my body shaking, lying on the massage table with the therapist no doubt thinking I’m totally deranged. We’ve all been in that situation where we’ve laughed at an inappropriate time and just couldn’t stop. I bit my lip, I pinched myself, I tried to think of something sad. Nothing worked. Finally I asked her to please turn off the music. Total silence. I played the Picnic Game to distract myself and finally settled down. I have no idea if it was a good or bad massage, but I will remember that moment forever.

Tomorrow we head into the Waiau Valley to explore another New Zealand vineyard as we drive south to Christchurch.